WASHINGTON: Dick Cheney, celebrated as a master Republican strategist but defined by the darkest chapters of America’s “War on Terror,” was honoured Thursday in a funeral attended by Washington’s elite that pointedly left out President Donald Trump.

Cheney’s career over half a decade reads like a catalogue of American statecraft, even as his long shadow over foreign policy — as defense secretary during the Gulf War and as the 46th vice president under George W. Bush — still divides the country.

Bush and fellow former president Joe Biden were among more than 1,000 guests at the Washington National Cathedral.

But Trump, who hasn’t commented on Cheney’s death, and his vice president JD Vance were not invited.

Every living former vice president — Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle — were in attendance, along with generals, foreign dignitaries and Supreme Court justices.

“Vice President Dick Cheney was an American patriot who served this country like very few in our history, and I was always inspired by his by his quiet and steady leadership,” Pence told cable news network MS NOW outside the cathedral.

Bush delivered a tribute, along with Cheney’s daughter Liz — famously ousted from the congressional Republican Party over her opposition to Trump.

Praised for his intellect and described by historians as the “most powerful vice president in modern US history,” Cheney was admired as a strategist of unusual clarity, and a steady hand who helped steer the nation through its darkest hours.

As vice president under Bush, he redefined a traditionally ceremonial role into one of unparalleled influence, helping drive national security policy and expanding presidential authority.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2025